Chime drum



June 3, 1958 E. s. sussER 2,837,002

I CHIME DRUM Filed Feb. 15, 1956 umullulunumE y i? 2 l f@ l IN V EN TOR.

Ernesf A51' 5265er ATTORNEY United States Patent O CHIME DRUM Ernest S. Susser, Bayonne, N. J. Application February 13, 1956, serial No. 565,173

10 claims. (ci. 84-170) My invention relates generally to chime drums and `pecically to a drum in which beating on the drumiead in selected areas produces musical tones.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a lrum which in addition to producing the normal drum iound also produces a musical tone.

It is a further object of my invention to provide in a irum, a sound producing means cooperative with the ilrum-head.

1t is yet a further object of my invention to provide a :lrum containing means for producing tones percusivcly.

It is yet a further object of my invention to provide a toy drum that will sound a series of musical tones in addition to the conventional drum sound.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a musical drum upon which melodies may be played with drumsticks.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a toy musical drum.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a musical drum which is not a toy but will take its place in the serious or popular musical iield as a new medium of musical expression.

These objects and advantages, as well as other objects and advantages, may be achieved by the device illustrative of my invention shown in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a musical drum with a portion of the side wall exploded away to disclose the internal structure;

Figure 2 is a top plan view with a portion of the top exploded away to show the internal structure;

Figure 3 is a view of the striker;

Figure 4 is a view of the felt pad rest; and

Figure 5 is a view of a chime bar.

Referring now tothe drawings in detail, my musical drum 11 comprises a shell 12, tubular in form and open at the top and the bottom. A hoop 13 is provided for the'top and the bottom of the shell 12, said hoop having a bent over portion 14 and a drum-head 15, crimped or frictionally engaged therewith. The hoop 13 is of such diameter that it may slide down over the shell 12. A plurality of hooks 16 are engaged with the top and bottom hoops 13 and are connected together by a cord 17, springs 18 and connectors 19. The tension of the springs maintains the drum-heads 15 taut over the shell 12. The hoops 13 may be of metal. The drum-heads 15 may be of skin, paper or any similar material conventionally used for drum-heads. No invention in the drum structure referred to is claimed and the particular structure described and illustrated is merely intended to disclose one of the many known possible drum structures which might be used for any musical drum.

A base 26 formed of wood, or some other suitable material, is positioned within the shell 12. This base is provided with a plurality of marginal apertures 21 and a central aperture 22. The base is secured to the wall of the shell 12 by brackets 23 riveted to the shell 12 or attached in another suitable manner and perhaps tacked "ice to the base 2i). Mounted on the base by means of tacks or in any other suitable manner, are a series of strikers 24. These strikers are formed of resilient material and have a toot 25, an integral upwardly extended portion 26, an integral horizontal portion 27, and an integral finger 28 extending downwardly. Attached to the horizontal portion 27 of the resilient striker 24 is a plate 29. This plate may be secured thereto by riveting, welding, or in any other suitable manner. Adhesively secured to the top of the plate 29 is a felt pad 30, co-extensive therewith. The striker 24 is formed of resilient material, preferably metal, and is so dimensioned that the felt pad 3) is disposed closely beneath the drum-head 15 or in light contact therewith so that the damping effect of the felt pad 30 on the vibration of the drum-head 15 is reduced to a minimum. Mounted below the finger 28 of. the striker 24, is a chime bar 31. Such chime bars are well known, are usually constructed of metal, and when struck resound with a musical tone. The chime bar 31 is positioned above the base 20 and rests on felt pads 32, adhesively secured to the base so that the pads are dis posed under the end portions of the bar 31. The chime bar is provided with a pair of apertures 33 and is maintained in position on the felt pads 32 by nails 34 entering the base 20. The heads of these nails are not in contact with the chime bar 31. The finger 28 is so dimensioned that it is normally positioned a short distance above the chime bar 31. A plurality of chime bars similarly mounted, as well as strikers 24, are positioned at suitable intervals on the table 20. These chime bars are tuned to suitable musical intervals to produce selected musical tones. In the device illustrated eight distinct and separate sound producing assemblies are iilustrated in order that a full octave of tones may be produced. These tones may, of course, be varied iniinitely in number within the limitations of size and pitch. In order that the striking area on the drum-head to produce any particular tone may be deiined and easily located, the drum-head 15 may have areas 35 encircled and identified by numbers for pitch designations in order that the drummer may know where to apply the drumstick in order to produce the selected tone. These areas coincide with the under-lying plate 29. By reason of the apertures 22 and 21, the drum may be operated in the conventional manner by drumming on the central area of the drumhead or at marginal areas remote from the areas 35. A tap of a drumstick on any of the areas 35 will produce a resilient exing of the striker 24 and the ringer 2S will forcibly engage the chime bar 31. A musical tone will thereby be produced. In the course of the drumming operation, the drummer will have at his command an octave of musical tones, more or less according to the construction of the drum; the resonant characteristics of the usual drum tone remain undisturbed. It is not necessary that the striker be physically actuated, for it can be electrically actuated by pressure-sensitive switches disposed beneath the drum-head 15 which actuate electrornagnets which would physically attract and draw the iingers 28 into Contact with the chime bar. In addition to chime bars or in substitution therefor, bells, tuned strings, and other percussively responsive tone producing media may be substituted.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being Within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.

I claim:

1. A musical drum comprising a drum-head, a resilient striking member, a plate attached to the striking member and disposed immediately under the drum-head, a means for producing a musical tone in the path of movement of the striking member and engageable therewith.

2. A musical drum comprising a drum-head, a mounting under the drum-head, a means on the mounting responsive to percussion for producing a musical tone, a resilient striking member on the mounting within striking distance from the tone means and engageable therewith, and said striking member having a portion disposed immediately beneath the drum-head.

3. A musical drum comprising a hollow body member, a drum-head on the body member, a platform mounted in the hollow body member under the drum-head, a chime bar mounted on the platform, a resilient striking member mounted on the platform, a portion of the striking member disposed within striking distance from the chime bar, a portion of the striking member disposed immediately under the drum-head.

4. A musical drum comprising a hollow body member, a drum-hcad on the body member, a platform mounted in the hollow body member under the drum-head, a chime bar mounted on the platform, a resilient striking member mounted on the platform, a portion of the striking member disposed within striking distance from the chime bar, a portion of the striking member disposed immediately under the drum-head, a plate attached to the striking member and disposed in parallelism with and close to the drum-head.

5. A musical drum comprising a hollow body member, a drum-head on the body member, a platform mounted in the hollow body member under the drum-head, a chime bar mounted on the platform, a resilient striking member mounted on the platform, a portion of the striking member disposed Within striking distance from the chime bar, a portion of the striking member disposed immediately under the drum-head, a plate attached to the striking member and disposed in parallelism with and close to the drum-head, an area marked on the drum head defining the position of the plate under the drumhead.

6. A musical drum comprising a drum-head, a means for mounting chime bars and strikers under the drumhead, a plurality of chime bars mounted on said means, a plurality of strikers mounted on said means, a portion of each striker disposed within striking distance from a corresponding chime bar, a portion of each striker disposed under the drum-head, plates attached to each of the strikers and disposed in parallelism with and close to the drum-head, areas marked on the drum head defining the position of the plate under the drum-head.

7. A musical drum comprising a drum-head, a rst means under the drum-head responsive to drumming on the portion of the drum-head over said means, a sound producing means, said iirst means disposed in operable relation to the sound producing means.

8. A musical drum comprising a drum, a deectable member under the drum-head responsive to deformation of the drum-head caused by striking the drum-head, a sound producing means positioned for engagement with the said member when the said member is deilected.

9. A musical drum comprising a drum-head, a resilient striking member under and adjacent to the drumdiead, a means for producing a musical tone in the path of movement of the striking member and engageable therewith.

10. A musical drum comprising an imperforate drum head, a resilient striking member under and adjacent to the drum head, a means for producing a musical tone in the path of movement of the striking member and engageable therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,333,565 Newlin Mar. 9, 1920 1,425,032 Milito Aug. 8, 1922 2,788,608 Anthony Apr. 16, 1957 2,788,696 Anthony Apr. 16, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 333,483 France Sept. 23, 1903 54,405 Austria July 25, 1912 

